


Barbershop

by LaughingFreak



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, but also loves him so much, i will make ryan kinkade a tag if it's the last thing i do, james is thirsty for his man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 05:49:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15790221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaughingFreak/pseuds/LaughingFreak
Summary: James at the barbershop owned by his boyfriend's father.





	Barbershop

**Author's Note:**

> Here's another one of this pair! I'm not too happy with it, but hopefully someone here can find some enjoyment out of it.

It wasn’t often that the cadets of the Garrison got to go home and visit with their families, but when people got the chance they took it, even if it was just to take the time to relax. Usually James would take the time to visit his grandma, but she was out traveling Arizona as she was prone to do this time of the year. So when Ryan asked him if he’d like to go visit his dad with him for the weekend James figured why not.

The last time he visited his family both parents were there and he wasn’t there for more than a few hours. Mrs. Kinkade was on leave for the holidays. Ryan’s mom wasn’t on leave often, she was kind of a workaholic from what he’s been told, but when she was her uniform life did not touch her home life. What she did in the military as a commander was something she never wanted to bring home. Apparently, she couldn’t get away this time and had to stay on base.

Now, Mr. Kinkade was a different story. He brought his work home all the time because he loved it. The man cut hair for a living and owned a barbershop across their neighborhood away from their house. If a family member or a friend needed their hair done then they were welcomed to the house while his paying customers were at the barbershop. From what James could tell from the album he kept of the pictures he took of the finish product of his customers he was good at his job.

But what James didn’t expect was to be in the barbershop with both Ryan and his dad and watch them both do hair.

Motown music played in the background, a mixture of blues and jazz sprinkled in the mix. It drowned most the buzzing from the electric razors, but didn’t over power the voices that were talking.

James wasn’t as familiar with barbershops as he was with salons. The salons he’s been to were mostly staffed by woman and men were customers but not nearly as much as other women were. The music that would be played was either pop or music from the top forty hits chart and there was always section of the salon that only for getting nails done with manicures and pedicures. If you wanted the latest gossip about your neighbor or who was sleeping with who or wanted to hear complaints about men—or praises depending on the mood of who was talking—then that that was the place to go.

Salons, at least to him, seemed like a place for women to let their hair down and find unity. Or, in some cases, have a therapy session with their stylist.

Apparently, barbershops weren’t like that, or, at least, Mr. Kinkade’s wasn’t. Here there was talk about your team and how they were doing this season, statistics and plays thrown about that James couldn’t pretend to understand. There was talk about women and food, sometimes pointing what places had the best meals. Sometimes there’d be a debate on whose wife made the best of something.

Well, he supposed there wasn’t that much different about them, but this place certainly felt like a place where men could relax and get themselves looking good.

James watched Ryan shave an intricate design on a customer’s head over the magazine in his hand that he was pretending to read. He should have known that he could style hair with skill when he was the one to give haircuts to Ina or styled Nadia's hair, even doing the same for him, but he thought it was because of a younger sibling. His man was multi-talented. But honestly though, he was mostly enjoying the way the muscles moved beneath his boyfriend’s skin as it glistened with sweat. Even though the heat wasn’t pleasant and he wished the air conditioner worked better instead of just the fan part of the unit James was more than happy to stare at how attractive his boyfriend was.

Thankfully, Nadia wasn’t here or else she would tease the hell out of him. Sometimes he wished she didn’t notice things. Or more specifically the looks he’s prone to sending the other man.

“James, don’t think I don’t see you eyeing my boy like you wantin’ to lick him up,” came the loud voice of Mr. Kinkade.

Said cadet jumped, eyes wide and blush heating his face, and when Ryan laughed he could swear he was going to burst from embarrassment. His face felt like it was on fire from it.

“At least the boy ain’t drooling,” said a middle aged man the chair by the window.

“You should see him when I’m working out in the gym, staring at me like he wants me against the wall,” added Ryan, turning to his boyfriend and grinning.

James huffed and hid his face in one of his hands then groaned. “Shut up, Kade, seriously.”

The man in the chair getting his hair done by Mr. Kinkade looked at the pilot from the mirror and said, “No shame in wantin’ your man, boy.”

“He’s definitely getting the couch,” mumbled James, lifting his magazine up high enough to hide his face.

Granted, he could probably say more or embarrass Ryan himself with some of the things he does for him—or to him for that matter—but he liked to think he was classier than that. Mostly, he just kept thinking of how his grandma would probably have a heart attack if she ever caught wind of it and his grandma taught him better than that.

That didn’t mean that he didn’t get his revenge when he and Ryan were in private, behind closed doors.

The teasing dwindled and conversation continued. James’ face finally began to cool down and as it did he was more willing to put the magazine on his lap. Ryan was just finishing up the ends of his client’s head when the phone rang and his dad went to answer it.

Ryan took the cover off the client, holding up a mirror for them to take so they can look over what had been done. The client complimented him and the two walked over to the desk to handle the payment. Watching his boyfriend interact with the people here or in his home was always a treat because of how freely he acted and spoke. Though he knew that the Garrison wasn’t Ryan’s first choice he couldn’t help but be happy that he went with it anyways whenever he saw him smile.

Those smiles were rare and as much as he’d like to think they’d have met under other circumstances he knew that was only hypothetical.

But seeing him smile at him was one of the best things he could ever experience. And being on a team with him, knowing he has his back and trusts him out on the field to lead them to safety? Is something he’d never regret or take lightly.

The physical aspects of their relationship were great—amazing really, there were no complaints from him—but the seeing him and being one of the few people he let into his life? Nothing could be better.

“You love my boy, don’t you?” asked Mr. Kinkade, standing over James’ shoulder.

James didn’t bother hiding his expression, how it softened or how his body sighed in relaxation and contentment. “More than anything.”

“Good.” Mr. Kinkade placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it, before going over to finish his client’s hair.


End file.
